ISRO Likely to Launch PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 on Jan 10

Chennai, Jan 1: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is likely to conduct its first mission of 2026 on January 10 with the launch of the PSLV-C62 rocket carrying the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite along with 18 co-passenger payloads from Sriharikota.

According to an ISRO Spaceflight update on X, PSLV-C62 is tentatively scheduled to lift off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The EOS-N1 satellite, the primary payload and the return-to-flight mission for PSLV, arrived at SHAR on December 26.

Official sources said PSLV-C62 will mark the 64th flight of India’s reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and follows the PSLV-C61 mission. The launch is a dedicated Earth observation mission undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for strategic users.

The EOS-N1 imaging satellite has been built for strategic purposes by DRDO. In addition, a 25-kg football-sized probe, the Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID), developed by a Spain-based startup, will fly on the PS-4 stage. About 17 other commercial payloads, together weighing nearly 200 kg, from startups and research institutions across India, Mauritius, Luxembourg, the UAE, Singapore, Europe and the US are also onboard.

ISRO said the mission will be followed in February 2026 by the launch of PSLV-N1, the first commercially built PSLV vehicle, carrying the EOS-10 satellite and the India-Mauritius Joint Satellite (IMJS).

Among other missions in the pipeline are the HLVM3-G1/OM-1 uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, GSLV-F17/EOS-05, PSLV-C63/TDS-01 technology demonstration mission, PSLV-N1/EOS-10 and SSLV-L1, a dedicated commercial mission by NSIL. (Agencies)